Chance to catch up

Now I might have chance to catch up with progress because I've finished the room, got most of the stairs constructed and Emma has moved in. This was another deadline I'd set that I manged to meet (well to within a couple of days).
I'll shortly fill in the details of:
Plaster boarding/skiming
Finishing
Starting Electrics saga
Stair case building

Wiring for loft conversion Reminder

Thought it best to record in photos where the wiring in stud wall goes. This was whilst I was plaster boarding it all out.

The photo also shows the aluminium foil tape I used to seal all the joints and edges of the insulation.

Finishing the loft conversion Insulation

How I insulated my loft conversion-

The next layer of insulation had to be fitted up to the battons on the rafters. This final 35mm layer of Kingspan TP10 over the top of the 75mm TP10 brings the total roof insulation up to 110mm . These were easy to fix up using long clout nails but again some very careful cutting required to get a good fit.


I also had to insulate the party and gable end walls. For this I used Kingspan Kooltherm Dry Lining board K17. This has 60mm of insulation with 12.5mm plaster board bonded to it. Heavy and awkward to get up there and cut being 8 x 4 sheets but it was relatively fast progress. I dab fixed in place with normal board adhesive





Showing the Insulated wallboard fitted aroung the chimney breast with a bit of skirty foam filling the gaps.

Finishing Loft conversion stud walls and starting insulation

First part of Loft Conversion Insulation

A few photos here showing what was the start of lengthy process fitting the ridgid Kingspan insulation between the roof rafters and the stud wall. Every piece individually cut to fit.

By this time I'd finished the majority of the floor so stand was easy and safe.

This pic showing the the tricky bit of stud work to for the escape window cill. This had to project back over the steel to give the minimum distance from the eves to the window opening required by the regs.

Here we can see the little access corridor to the rest of the attic space taking shape. Included here though as it shows the insulation around the Steel.

Plenty of rockwool insulation went in behind the structural studs, just cheap wickes stuff this time as no additional fire proofing was required. So the total depth of ceiling insulation is about 400mm.

I had to fit battons on the rafters to ensure the air gap of 25mm to the breater mebrane was maintained , so i didn't push it too far up. Surprisingly it was cheaper to buy PSE timber from Wickes and rip it down with my bench saw than it was to buy rough sawn direct from a timber yard. Fitting it was a doddle after I made a jig to getting the spacing and I purchased a cheap electric brad nailer, well worth it.

Another batton then had to go on the under side of the rafters to give something solid for the next layer of Kingspan to attached to.

Here are just some on the trick angle to be cut. They need to be tight to keep the insulation up to spec. Only a few bits needed a squirt of foam filler.

TIP Use a jig saw with a long blade to cut them, far easier than a knife and less messy than a hand saw.

Loft Conversion Wiring, plumbing and the first floor board

A bit of a cheat counting the first floor board at this stage as I had to fit the wiring and plumbing under the floor first. But it was up there giving me a more stable platform to work off.

The Loft wiring was a simple ring for the sockets the lighting to go in walls later. Just because it would be neater in the long run and it seemed oportune I also wired TV coax to go the 1st floor bedrooms, down into the lounge and into the cellar.

The timeline drifts a bit here but I wasn't taking many photos. I must have done the plumbing for the radiator around this time. This came off the 15mm feed and return under the floor in the girls room (shifting stuff round in their bit to get at the floor is a job in it's self). From there it goes up the lathe and plaster stud wall, only one noggin so I only had to cut a small square out at the bottom of the wall and one in the middle .

It comes up about 300m from the radiator down pipes, so that plan came together quite nicely. After a wet test I took the rad back off. Just realised I must have built the stud wall by this time.





and so I had

Also by that time I'd taken down the airing cupboard, another couple of days covered soot and dust, not just me but the house and its contents.
With it out, the landing really opened up.




The flooring came up the stairs and the ladder then got laid. A bit of a no brain job putting it down apart from the tricky bits round the edge. I used, I think 14 sheets of 2 x 8 x 18mm Wickes best T and G chipboard. 300 screws latter ( I dont want a squeaky floor) it was down and giving me a more relaxing stance to start on the rest of the dividing wall and the insulation.

The wiring down to the cellar fuse board went up the underneath of the stairs wiggled across the landing and up the old stud wall along from where the plumbing went in. Conviently emerging close to where a fuse board for the attic has been fitted. Whilst the opportunity was there I also put in two telephone cables, the coax (I might use for DAB as I've lost radio 4 in the dinning room), and the cable for the downstairs smoke alarm.

Loft Conversion - Building control structural inspection

A moment of truth..... had I completed all the structural work on the steels, joists and purlin replacements to the required standards?

Of course I had, with total confidence I rang building control for an inspection, no problem with the next day service. However the inspector I was expecting had move areas so a the new chap wasn't familiar with the project and effort I'd put into the planning. Still no nerves, I was confident.

The very nice man came halfway up the ladder, had a look round and was impressed. What a good excuse for a beer that evening.
A few days latter the bill for the inspections came through, Unavoidable beurocratic expense. ho hum.

Loft Progress upto Jan 08

I've final got round to adding a bit more. I had set a deadline of Christmas to finish the room off ( building wise anyway). A pat on the back for myself because I did it. There's nothing like a deadline to get a job done.

Just the Stairs to make the room habitable and a few bits and bobs like electrics connecting and certifying, a door, decorating, flooring and blinds for the velux. Not take me two mins.

I had a couple of weeks off to tile the dining room fireplace and instal a log burning stove in time for christmas.

It's full steam ahead on the stairs with the center post machined and installed.

The next posts cover what ive been upto.